Don’t Be Used Against Otuaro, General Ogidigba PAP Phase 3 National Chairman Warns Delegates,
Blames Campaign of Calumny
By Wilson Macaulay
WARRI—
Beneficiaries and delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have been cautioned against allowing themselves to be manipulated by what has been described as self-serving individuals seeking to undermine the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Chief Dennis Otuaro, through petitions, protests and negative media campaigns.
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The caution was contained in a statement signed by General Godstime Ogidigba, National Chairman of PAP Phase 3, who alleged that the recent wave of petitions, threats of protests and adverse publications against Otuaro was being orchestrated by a handful of leaders whose personal interests had been affected by the ongoing reforms introduced by the Amnesty Office.
Ogidigba claimed that the current administration of the Presidential Amnesty Programme had embarked on far-reaching reforms aimed at sanitising the system by ending practices associated with bulk payment arrangements and strengthening transparency, accountability and equitable access to programme benefits for genuine beneficiaries
According to him, the reforms have unsettled certain individuals who allegedly benefited from the previous system and are now mobilising delegates to oppose the PAP Administrator for reasons that have little to do with the collective interest of beneficiaries.
He urged delegates and beneficiaries not to become instruments in what he described as politically motivated campaigns designed to discredit Otuaro and distract the Amnesty Office from its mandate of promoting peace, human capital development and sustainable empowerment across the Niger Delta.
“The genuine beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme must remain vigilant and refuse to be manipulated by individuals pursuing personal interests under the guise of protecting the programme. Their actions are motivated by selfish interests rather than the welfare of delegates and beneficiaries,” he stated.
Ogidigba maintained that if there was any need to review or improve the operations of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, such issues should be addressed through consultation and constructive engagement involving recognised Amnesty leaders and the Presidency, rather than through blackmail, protests or sustained media attacks against the leadership of the programme.
He stressed that unity among stakeholders remained critical to preserving the gains of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, adding that dialogue and cooperation would produce more meaningful outcomes than confrontation.
The PAP Phase 3 National Chairman therefore appealed to all genuine leaders, delegates and beneficiaries to reject divisive propaganda and support Otuaro’s ongoing reforms, particularly his educational revolution, scholarship initiatives, vocational training, skills acquisition and youth empowerment programmes, which he described as transformative investments in the future of the Niger Delta.
According to Ogidigba, sustained support for the current reform agenda would further reposition the Presidential Amnesty Programme as a credible vehicle for peacebuilding, economic empowerment and sustainable development throughout the region.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER 4TH AUGUST, 2026)
